Issue Position: Education

I teach political science at Mesa Community College and Arizona State University. I have been teaching for over a decade, so education is a top priority for me. That's why I personally sponsored the largest education investment in state history, which dramatically boosted teacher pay by 20%, fully restored funding for school supplies and capital, and provided the money needed to build new schools in Chandler. I believe the three keys to ensuring a quality education system in Arizona are: school resources, teacher pay and parental choices. These fundamental principles, which involve ensuring funding and resources get into the classroom, compensating hardworking educators appropriately, and empowering parents to choose which schools their children attend, are the key elements to my education policy.

School Resources
I strongly support getting more resources to our schools, particularly into the classroom. The Great Recession saw reductions in education funding which we must work to undo. One particular piece of the K-12 funding formula that must be restored is "Additional Assistance" which is presently a fraction of what it once was at its peak. We also need to develop a funding model that focuses on student outcomes, measured in terms of both improvement/progress and attainment. We in District 17 are fortunate to have some of the highest-achieving schools in the state, thanks to excellent management by the Chandler Unified School district, as well as several charter schools. Unfortunately, not every school is managed so well, and we need to hold poorly-performing districts and charters accountable.

Teacher Pay
Teacher pay should be the cornerstone of Education funding. There is no greater predictor of student achievement and success than the quality of instruction. The problem is we don't have salary levels or teaching environments that are very attractive. The talented individuals who work in the classroom are often underappreciated, and underpaid. This should not be. The teaching profession, in my mind, should be held in the highest regard. Teachers help to lay the foundation for our children's future. School budgets should be designed around teacher pay. The first dollars of additional funding, including inflationary increases, should be aimed at increasing teacher salaries. And, teachers should be paid based on their abilities and with consideration to their students' improvement and outcomes.

Parental Choices
A powerful way to drive schools to be better is to create an academic environment that emphasizes parental choice. The more choices there are, the greater the competition. I realize competition makes some folks within the public school sector uncomfortable, but competition is a great motivator, forcing all those competing to be better! Healthy competition should exist at every level of our education system: between schools within a district, between districts and charter schools, between online and ground campuses, and between public and private schools. Where this has been done, studies have shown improved education quality across the spectrum, and that's what we need.

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